The Hindu 02.08.2012
Officials asked to prevent dumping of solid waste in water bodies
The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Tuesday
directed officials to prevent dumping of solid waste in water bodies or
their burning along road sides.
Disposing of a suo
motu public interest litigation petition based on a photo feature
published by “The Hindu,” a Bench comprising Justice R. Banumathi and
Justice G. M. Akbar Ali directed the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board
officials to monitor and ensure that municipal solid waste was not
dumped in water bodies or burnt on roadsides. It also instructed the
Madurai Corporation Commissioner and Collector to ensure strict
enforcement of Municipal Solid Waste (Management and Handling) Rules
2000.
Earlier, the court had directed the Assistant
Director of Panchayats to submit a report on the steps taken to keep all
local bodies in the district clean and hygienic. In his counter
affidavit, the Corporation Commissioner said that steps had been taken
to remove garbage in canals connecting Melamadai and Sadasiva Nagar and
tractors were used to remove garbage near Pandikoil. The president of
Samayanallur panchayat said that third parties that dumped plastic waste
had been warned of stringent action. The Collector, in a report, said
that he had instructed the Assistant Director of Panchayats to follow
norms pertaining to removal of garbage and plastic waste in all 420
village panchayats.
The Assistant Director of
Panchayats informed the court that suitable action would be taken to
prevent dumping of waste in all the panchayts in Madurai district. The
officials said that garbage dumped on the bunds of the Vaigai had been
removed.
The judges, while disposing of the petition,
also directed the officials to ensure that solid waste was not dumped
or burnt in the Vaigai and other water bodies and on road sides. The suo
motu PIL petition was based on a photo feature carried by “The Hindu”
on dumping and burning of solid waste in the city, near Samayanallur and
Pandikoil.
